Leading Accommodation and Tourism Industry Events Link Up for Megameet 2012

MegaMeet 2012 will comprise:

> Australia, New Zealand & Pacifi c Hotel Industry Conference (ANZPHIC 2012) – that for 12 years has been the region’s leading conference for CEO’s and senior executives;

> Serviced Apartments Summit 2012 – the only event in Australia and New Zealand covering the burgeoning serviced apartments sector that now accounts for over 25% of accommodation room supply;

> The Ted Event – a new technology event created by well known industry IT specialist, Ted Horner; and
> The Tourism Accommodation Australia Awards for Excellence 2012 – the most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry, honoring the achievement of excellence in accommodation, dining, entertainment, marketing, training, community service and talented employees.

The creator of Megameet 2012, Horwath HTL CEO Mr John Smith described it as a fi rst ever regional industry initiative and one designed to provide two way benefi ts for attendees. “Industry executives will for the fi rst time be able to efficiently plan for and participate in a package of knowledge sharing events in the same location at the same time, rather suffer the disruption and cost of having to attend individual events in different locations at different times” Mr Smith said.

“It will also enable participants from each event to meet up at MegaMeet Greet! which will comprise a networking cocktail function at the Hilton Sydney on Wednesday 25 July. We expect this will be the largest ever networking event for industry executives in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacifi c” he added.

Commenting on the initiative Carol Giuseppi, Director Tourism Accommodation Australia (NSW) said “ANZPHIC has long been recognised as the premier conference for the accommodation industry. Sponsoring ANZPHIC 2012 and positioning the TAA(NSW) Awards for Excellence under the Megameet umbrella, provides a powerful, integrated platform that maximises the participation of all in the industry”.

Ted Horner, Managing Director of E Horner & Associates added “The Ted Event is proud to partner in the launch of Megameet as a “one stop shop” of key hospitality industry events in the region and in doing so is delighted that guest technology will be brought onto the main stage of industry focus”.

A feature of Megameet 2012 is that it will enable attendees to pick and choose which events to attend whilst also being able to meet up at the MegaMeet Greet! networking function - thereby enabling companies to send employees to individual events suited to them whilst enabling all company delegates to come together for the networking event.

Contact John Smith at Horwath HTL on (+61) 418 447 222. For information on individual events please contact:

> For ANZPHIC or Serviced Apartments Summit – John Smith on (+61) 418 447 222 jsmith@horwathhtl.com.au

> For The Ted Event – Ted Horner on (+61 2) 9876 8119 ted@hornertech.com.au
> For TAA Awards for Excellence 2012 – Leone Cruden on (+61 2) 8218 1815 awards@tourismaccommodation.com.au
Leading Accommodation and Tourism Industry Events Link Up for Megameet 2012

Industry Leaders Check In for Serviced Apartments Summit

After 30 years of sustained growth, serviced apartments have emerged as a major component of the accommodation industry. Currently representing over a quarter of total room supply in Australia, the sector has accounted for almost 70% of all new room supply over the past decade.

Apart from successfully servicing the needs of travellers, the industry has been responsible for providing both a major source of employment for young and older Australians, as well as a source for investment in both individual serviced apartments and the management rights businesses that support them. In Queensland alone it is estimated that over 3,000 management rights schemes are in operation in what has become a multi billion dollar industry.

To discuss the future of the industry, serviced apartment owners, operators, developers, lenders, advisers and other stakeholders, as well as hoteliers and interested real estate professionals will meet in Sydney on 25 July 2012 at the 2nd annual Serviced Apartments Summit to hear from industry leaders and experts and to network with peers. The Summit is the only event of its type in the region.

A stellar cast of industry leaders will address the 2012 Summit including:

		Choe Peng Sum Chief Executive Officer Frasers Hospitality			Bob East Chief Executive Officer Mantra Group			Paul Constantinou Chairman Quest Serviced Apartments
		Rachel Argaman Chief Executive Officer Toga Hospitality			Murray Boyte Chief Executive Officer Ariadne Australia			Sid Knell Chief Executive Officer Prime Group Australia
		Ian Crooks Managing Director Resort Brokers Australia			Roland Jegge Vice President Asia Pacific Worldhotels			Gaurang Jhunjhnuwala General Manager Bus. Dev. & Marketing Hind Group
		Jose Ventura VP Asia Pac, Mid.East & Africa Bus. Dev. Preferred Hotel Group			Lindsay Leeser Director Development Asia Accor			Michael Moret-Lalli Director of Acquisitions Mantra Group

 The Summit is a pre-event to the Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Hotel Industry Conference (ANZPHIC 2012) that will be held on 26 and 27 July at the Hilton Sydney. For over a decade, ANZPHIC has been the main event on the regional accommodation industry calendar, attracting over 400 CEO's and other senior industry delegates, as well as 30 Sponsors, Exhibitors and Supporters. A majority of those delegates also attend the Summit. Subject to availability, two-day delegates at ANZPHIC 2012 can attend the Summit for free. Alternatively registration for the Summit alone can be made. The event was a sell-out in 2011 and a similar outcome in expected this year so early registration is advised.

In an industry first in 2012, at the conclusion of the Summit, delegates will join delegates from ANZPHIC and two other co-located industry events taking place at the same time to enjoy Megameet Greet, a major industry networking function to be held at the Hilton Sydney.

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Exhibiton Trade Fairs Says Event Expos Will Stay At SCEC Until 2014

Two of the event industry's leading exhibitions, the Australian Business Events Expo and Sydney's Event Showcase will continue to be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) for 2012 and 2013 following the Centre's closure announcement last week.

In a statement from the event's organisers, Exhibition & Trade Fairs (ETF)  general manager & CEO Jodie Richmond, the organisation confirmed that both shows would remain at SCEC this year and next.

"The recent announcement by Premier Barry O’Farrell to close the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre for three years, whilst it is being rebuilt, delivers certainty for the industry.  We at Exhibitions and Trade Fairs are very excited about the government’s commitment to creating a world class precinct for the future of business events and special events in Sydney," she said.

"We believe this will have a huge positive impact on the New South Wales economy and the contribution of the event industry throughout Australia.

The new facilities will help us all develop events worthy of our global reputation as leaders in event management.

Sydney’s Event Showcase and Australian Business Events Expo will continue to be hosted at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre this year and next. We are already discussing new locations and opportunities to host the shows thereafter.

We are also considering reinventing the style and format of the shows for 2014 – 2016 to highlight the dynamic and fluid nature of the industry. We believe Sydney’s Event Showcase and Australian Business Events Expo will be more important than ever in connecting people, ideas and the industry during the closure period and in supporting Event Planners explore their myriad of options for managing events.

We will keep you up to date on any developments we make to the location of the shows during 2014-2016."

Exhibiton Trade Fairs Says Event Expos Will Stay At SCEC Until 2014

$1 Billion Makeover: Sydney Entertainment Centre To Be Knocked Down

The Sydney Entertainment Centre will be demolished and the Convention and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour closed for up to three years as the precinct undergoes a $1 billion makeover.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell today announced the development of an integrated exhibition and entertainment precinct in the city's CBD.

The fully integrated convention centre will increase the size of the existing precinct by two-thirds to 20 hectares and will include the largest exhibition space in Australia at 40,000 square metres.

"The project will mean a complete facelift for Darling Harbour - as well as the world-class facilities," Mr O'Farrell said today.

Up to 3500 jobs are expected to be created during the construction.

The 30-year-old Sydney Entertainment Centre is to be demolished while the exhibition and convention facilities will be closed from late 2013 to late 2016.

The project is aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the major events industry in the state, particularly in terms of the Asia-Pacific.

"They will bring NSW an economic benefit of more than $1 billion over five years," Mr O'Farrell said.

"NSW has already lost $150 million in economic benefit over the four years to 2010-11 because the current facilities have not been able to accommodate 169 conventions and 12 exhibitions," Mr O'Farrell said.

The new facilities will include the biggest meeting room space in Australia at 6000sq m and the biggest Australian convention hall capacity.

There will be a red-carpet premium entertainment facility with a capacity of at least 8000 people, suitable for international entertainment events and 'mega' conferences.

"The NSW government is creating a vibrant world-class convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour that will keep Sydney centre stage as Australia's global city," Mr O'Farrell said.

Infrastructure NSW (INSW) will lead the delivery of the new facilities as part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) tailored for the project.

During the three-year construction period, Sydney's major events industry will remain open for business, Mr O'Farrell said.

Sydney Olympic Park, Moore Park, the Australian Technology Park at Eveleigh and various Sydney hotels will play an expanded role in hosting events during the construction period.

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Sydney's Event Showcase 2012

When:	15 Aug 12 - 16 Aug 12 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Where:	Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre Darling Drive, Darling Harbour NSW 2000 New South Wales AUSTRALIA
Cost	Free
Phone	02 9556 7983
Email	dkriel@etf.com.au
Website:	http://sydney.rsvpevent.com.au

 Description:
Sydney's Event Showcase 2012 The Solution of your Ideas + Inspiration for events

Sydney’s Event Showcase is Australia’s premier event industry exhibition. High profile, collaborative, creative and comprehensive, this is the single most essential calendar event for over 220 exhibitors and 5,500 decision makers from the corporate events world.

Firmly established as the networking opportunity for events professionals, 2012 sees the team celebrating its 8th year in Sydney as the ultimate showcase for products and service providers in the business.

The 2-day, annually hosted show provides the fantastic opportunity for buyers and sellers to gather, to experience and to be inspired by the impressive showcase that presents the very best the industry has to offer.

The show will open its doors at 10am - 5pm, Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th August.
Our visitors organise a range of events from intimate business lunches to large-scale awards ceremonies and festivals. RSVP is your opportunity to feature your brand as part of this extraordinary event.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre takes traffic management online

In a first for the Australian events industry, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has designed an online traffic management system for its exhibition hall loading docks.
The move is part of the Centre’s ongoing program to boost operational efficiency and recognises the high level of demand put on the Centre’s six exhibition halls, which are the busiest in the country.

The new system enables a central traffic controller to log all truck arrivals online, and advise waiting drivers by SMS when it is their turn to move to the loading dock to offload or collect exhibition material.

The system also allows exhibition organisers to easily review the flow of traffic during their event, while freight companies can access the system to assess waiting times for their vehicles.

Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said the Centre’s security team had studied venue traffic management methods worldwide before partnering with a company to tailor-make its own system, which breaks new ground.

“No other venue in Australia has an online management system and whilst some international venues use them, we discovered that none of them offered the detail we need so we decided to create our own,” Mr van Amerongen said.

“The new system is premised on the need for efficiency and safety on the loading docks. Not only does it reduce the waiting time for trucks, it keeps all the key players in the loop during the crucial days spent setting up and dismantling an exhibition.”

Mr van Amerongen said the program also provided post-event reports which could be used by organisers to assist planning for future events.

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Jewellers Optimistic as 2012 Fairs Approach

Anticipation is growing for the jewellery industry as the 2012 trade fair season approaches.

The ‘jewellery trade fair season’ begins next month with Victoria hosting the Melbourne Jewellery Fair March 4-5 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, while the Brisbane Jewellery Fair takes place March 25-26 at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre in Southbank.

For the second consecutive year Australia will stage three jewellery fairs, with Sydney hosting the main event in September.

Director for wholesaler Ellani Collections, Paul Hicks, told Jeweller last year’s Melbourne fair was well supported and set in a positive atmosphere.

“I expect Melbourne to be even better for me this year,” Hicks said. “After a great Sydney fair and Christmas I’ve acquired a lot of new accounts and Melbourne has left me constantly busy.”

Hicks stressed the importance of having a third fair, saying it’s a great opportunity for retailers around the country to build relationships with suppliers and vice-versa.

“Australia and New Zealand is so spread out that it’s almost impossible to see everyone so the Melbourne and Brisbane fairs are great for everyone to come together,” Hicks added. “Retailing can be a tough gig at the moment so for them to see the wholesalers and form a view of where their business should head is beneficial.”

Duraflex Group director, Phil Edwards, said Thomas Sabo and Spinning Jewelry are launching new ranges at the Melbourne and Brisbane fairs.

“We’re using both fairs to launch two different products and hope to attain good feedback and high attendance rates,” Edwards told Jeweller. “We will have representatives from Thomas Sabo visiting Melbourne and overseas reps will be coming to Brisbane as well.”

Edwards intends to use both fairs as a solid testing ground for future years, with the supplier paying close attention to attendance and retailers’ feedback.

Royal Exhibition Centre in Melbourne's Carlton Gardens

“It’s unusual having two fairs so close together but this year’s fairs will be a testing ground for our new range of products,” Edwards said. “It will be a good chance to monitor retailers’ feedback and keep track of attendance levels.”

Registration

Fair organiser, Expertise Events advises that visitors to the 2011 fairs will have received a new Buyer Identification card making registration simple. Visitors with a blue photo card need only to mark the dates and present the card upon entry to the Melbourne and/or Brisbane fairs for immediate access.

Visitors still holding a past gold buyer card will be required to update their registration and new visitors or those updating their record can download a registration form from the Jewellery Fair website.

Expertise Events managing director, Gary Fitz-Roy said, “With three fairs along Australia’s east coast, the JAA Jewellery Fairs are an ideal chance for jewellery retailers to top-up their stocks and get in-tune with the latest trends after Christmas.”

Both the Melbourne and Brisbane trade fairs will each present over 90 exhibitors offering finished jewellery, retail services, watches and jeweller’s supplies.